1792: A group of planters on the north coast of Jamaica reported that “no character is so dangerous in this Country as that of a Pedlar.” They argued that al…

1792: A group of planters on the north coast of Jamaica reported that “no character is so dangerous in this Country as that of a Pedlar.” They argued that almost every slave rebellion in the West Indies was carried on, at least in part, through these itinerant traders. Pedlars and “wandering higglers” were viewed as subversive agents because of their ability to move news from the city to the slave quarters of isolated plantations. Consequently, colonial laws were enacted to severely circumscribe the mobility and professional activities of these itinerant sellers.